Have you had any experience creating a complete website using AI?

cosmoaccs said:

wait this is interesting quick q tho - when u say u genrated pages using python code that AI wrote, did u have to manauly tweak that code alot or did it just… work?? asking bc im trying to do smth similar and idk if i should just vibe code it or actually go the step by step route like u did ‍

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Starblazer said:

I actually created code blocks first like js & css files, header, footer, & post template, sitemap, etc. I have separately created a database file in csv format. I then wrote a python code that takes elements from database like headings, content, images, etc. and generates html pages. I had to refine it multiple times until I got the desired output though. But it's an easy process because I'm not writing code myself. Once the site is ready, I had to tweak things for improvements in design & performance.

If you want to create a site or saas, you should first fix core functionality and don't change it during the development. The design can be modified a thousand times without any issues as it's a harmless css file. If possible, write modular code, so that you don't need to change every page. For example, I separated header & footer from post content so that I can modify ads across all posts at once instead of updating hundreds of html files every single time. Such opportunities exist during development and you should keep an eye on them. You should also decide monetization in advance. If you code a php site yourself and then decide to add memberships, it becomes difficult later. Such features require complex code and you may need to upgrade from manual php code to a wordpress site. So, take these big decisions first and keep doing small updates over time.

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cosmoaccs said:

wait so u basically built ur own lil static site generator with python + csv database instead of just using wordpress from start?? thats kinda genius ngl. also quick q, when u say "fix core functionality first" do u mean like decide monetization/membership stuff even before writing any code at all, or just before u start scaling the site?? bc that part confuzed me a bit also how many times did u actually have to refine the python script b4 it gave decent html output lol, sounds like alot of trial n error

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KDMDOpps said:

Manus hands down is the best, in my experience. It works similar to claude code, but it also provides the hosting if you need it. You can also have it build for you to give you the code to host elsewhere.

What i usually do is start with a base LP that I spied and then prompt it with the changes that I want made. Its pretty quick and doesnt use up a lot of the tokens, I think even right now there may be a promotion where you can try it out at no charge (but dont quote me on that.)

I like that you are able to visually see the site inside manus wihtout having to move it to other service or open in browser on html. it makes editing things easier.

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Zephyroo said:

the point about SEO being dead for beginners is what most people skip over. building the site is the easy part now, anyone can do it. i've spun up a couple full projects with claude code myself and the actual product was solid, but then you just sit there staring at zero traffic wondering what to do next.

honestly the abandoned transcription tool story above is the realistic outcome for like 90% of these. not because AI cant build it, it builds fine. its that everyone else is also building the exact same thing this month.

if you already have a traffic source or an audience then yeah AI dev is a huge time saver. if you dont, you're just making a nicer looking product nobody sees. thats the part id figure out first before touching any builder tool imo.

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